Many kings and popes in the Middle Ages didn't get along well at all. They both wanted more power than the other. They often didn't agree and fought over whose idea was best. In the early Middle Ages, the pope was more powerful because he supposedly had the power to excommunicate people whenever he wanted to. In the late Middle Ages, kings were more powerful because the church was mainly ran by bishops instead of popes. I think if the kings and popes had just gotten along and compromised on things they didn't agree on, their kingdom would have prospered. Although many popes and kings fought, some kings, such as Charlemagne, did get along with the pope. They shared power equally and the kingdom under their rule was the most powerful it had ever been. The Middle Ages would have been much better if all kings had cooperated, like Charlemagne had.